Teacher Page
This project is for my 12 grade Honors Physics class. This project holds the students accountable for not only learning science, but doing science. I chose to create this web quest rather than write a lesson plan or a paper because I wanted to create something that I could actually use in class as an educator. The CCSS helped me pinpoint some areas where I could use improvement. Working on creating a student that is not learning different skills in isolation is my primary concern.
Physics is an experimental science. The theoretical concepts and relationships introduced in the lecture part of the course describe the general nature and behavior of real phenomena. They were, appropriately, discovered by (or inducted from) careful observation and thoughtful analysis of actual experiments.
The premise of the scientific method is that (observation of) nature is the ultimate judge of the truth of any physical theory. Indeed, experiments designed to prove certain ideas have often ended up showing them to be wrong. Consequently, all physical concepts must be verified experimentally if they are to be accepted as representing laws of nature. My students are investigating the flight of a projectile in order to verify Newton's Laws and Mechanical Theories.
This project is not a contest of whose catapult is going to be the "right answer." The purpose is to learn how to gain knowledge by looking at reality, not an attempt to simply make reality conform to preconceptions. The important thing is to learn how to be observant, to really see what happens, and to deal with this information with the strictest integrity. And to understand, or learn to understand, the meaning of what happens.
Practical ability to do experiments and analyze data is usually acquired through practice and experience. Practice is very important in learning any new discipline; such as, for example, two-dimensional motion. A good lecture may be very helpful but not fully useful without actual practice. In experimental science, practice involves solving many problems (i.e. homework, active practice) and performing a variety of experiments (i.e. labs, projects). Practice is essential to being able to make the connection between theory and experience.
This Projectile Motion unit is based on the following standards and sub standards:
Mathematics and English Language Arts CCSS
Cristo Rey Network Benchmarks/Standards
1.12.1 Formulate testable questions based on observations & research
1.12.2a Analyze the interactions between variables in an experiment
1.12.3 Design an experiment to test a hypothesis
1.12.4 Collect, organize, display and analyze data including error analysis and identifying possible bias
1.12.5 Interpret and report results of a scientific investigation as it relates to the hypothesis either in writing or orally
1.12.6 Write a formal lab report that includes question, hypothesis, materials list, procedure, data table and graphs, analysis and conclusion
2.12.1 Use patterns and trends to extrapolate, predict, and describe complex phenomenon i.e. multi-variable systems
2.12.3 Interpret and apply concepts behind derived measurement (for example, conversion factors, unit analysis, nomenclature of SI metric system) including joules, N etc
3.12.1 Evaluate ways in which science and society influence each other (past, present and in the future)
3.12.2 Integrate knowledge from basic science to its technological application
4.12.4 Make strategic use of multiple digital media (e.g. textual, graphical, interactive, etc.) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest
4.12.5 Apply systems of organization to sequence ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions
4.12.7 Evaluate the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate objective summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions
4.12.8 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text
14.12.1 Distinguish between position & displacement and speed & velocity. Solve problems involving position, displacement, speed and velocity. Interpret complex graphs of position /displacement vs. time
14.12.1a Define acceleration as change in motion. Solve problems using kinematic equations. Interpret graphs of velocity vs. time
14.12.2 Identify and represent forces as vectors and calculate components of forces & resultant force using vector operations
14.12.3 Analyze the relationship between forces and changes in motion
14.12.4 Explain how Newton’s 3rd law applies to various physical situations and predict the resulting change in motion in an interaction
Physics is an experimental science. The theoretical concepts and relationships introduced in the lecture part of the course describe the general nature and behavior of real phenomena. They were, appropriately, discovered by (or inducted from) careful observation and thoughtful analysis of actual experiments.
The premise of the scientific method is that (observation of) nature is the ultimate judge of the truth of any physical theory. Indeed, experiments designed to prove certain ideas have often ended up showing them to be wrong. Consequently, all physical concepts must be verified experimentally if they are to be accepted as representing laws of nature. My students are investigating the flight of a projectile in order to verify Newton's Laws and Mechanical Theories.
This project is not a contest of whose catapult is going to be the "right answer." The purpose is to learn how to gain knowledge by looking at reality, not an attempt to simply make reality conform to preconceptions. The important thing is to learn how to be observant, to really see what happens, and to deal with this information with the strictest integrity. And to understand, or learn to understand, the meaning of what happens.
Practical ability to do experiments and analyze data is usually acquired through practice and experience. Practice is very important in learning any new discipline; such as, for example, two-dimensional motion. A good lecture may be very helpful but not fully useful without actual practice. In experimental science, practice involves solving many problems (i.e. homework, active practice) and performing a variety of experiments (i.e. labs, projects). Practice is essential to being able to make the connection between theory and experience.
This Projectile Motion unit is based on the following standards and sub standards:
Mathematics and English Language Arts CCSS
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSA-REI.A.1 Explain each step in solving a simple equation as following from the equality of numbers asserted at the previous step, starting from the assumption that the original equation has a solution. Construct a viable argument to justify a solution method.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSG-SRT.C.6 Understand that by similarity, side ratios in right triangles are properties of the angles in the triangle, leading to definitions of trigonometric ratios for acute angles.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSG-SRT.C.7 Explain and use the relationship between the sine and cosine of complementary angles.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSG-SRT.C.8 Use trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean Theorem to solve right triangles in applied problems.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSG-SRT.D.9 (+) Derive the formula A = 1/2 ab sin(C) for the area of a triangle by drawing an auxiliary line from a vertex perpendicular to the opposite side.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSG-SRT.D.10 (+) Prove the Laws of Sines and Cosines and use them to solve problems.
- CCSS.Math.Content.HSG-SRT.D.11 (+) Understand and apply the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines to find unknown measurements in right and non-right triangles (e.g., surveying problems, resultant forces).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–12 here.)
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
Cristo Rey Network Benchmarks/Standards
1.12.1 Formulate testable questions based on observations & research
1.12.2a Analyze the interactions between variables in an experiment
1.12.3 Design an experiment to test a hypothesis
1.12.4 Collect, organize, display and analyze data including error analysis and identifying possible bias
1.12.5 Interpret and report results of a scientific investigation as it relates to the hypothesis either in writing or orally
1.12.6 Write a formal lab report that includes question, hypothesis, materials list, procedure, data table and graphs, analysis and conclusion
2.12.1 Use patterns and trends to extrapolate, predict, and describe complex phenomenon i.e. multi-variable systems
2.12.3 Interpret and apply concepts behind derived measurement (for example, conversion factors, unit analysis, nomenclature of SI metric system) including joules, N etc
3.12.1 Evaluate ways in which science and society influence each other (past, present and in the future)
3.12.2 Integrate knowledge from basic science to its technological application
4.12.4 Make strategic use of multiple digital media (e.g. textual, graphical, interactive, etc.) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest
4.12.5 Apply systems of organization to sequence ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions
4.12.7 Evaluate the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate objective summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions
4.12.8 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text
14.12.1 Distinguish between position & displacement and speed & velocity. Solve problems involving position, displacement, speed and velocity. Interpret complex graphs of position /displacement vs. time
14.12.1a Define acceleration as change in motion. Solve problems using kinematic equations. Interpret graphs of velocity vs. time
14.12.2 Identify and represent forces as vectors and calculate components of forces & resultant force using vector operations
14.12.3 Analyze the relationship between forces and changes in motion
14.12.4 Explain how Newton’s 3rd law applies to various physical situations and predict the resulting change in motion in an interaction